Operator to bar New York hospital CEO, CFO and COO from expensing bi-yearly trips to Cayman Islands

East Meadow, N.Y.-based Nassau Health Care Corp. officials expect to pass a resolution March 8 barring East Meadow-based Nassau University Medical Center officials from traveling to the Cayman Islands twice a year and charging the hospital for expenses incurred on the trip, according to Newsday.

George Tsunis, chairman of the board of Nassau Health Care Corp., which operates NUMC, told the publication the proposal is part of a series of resolutions to cut costs at NUMC, prevent corruption and make the public more aware of executives' actions.

Nassau Health Care Corp. created a limited liability company, called NHCC LTD, in the Cayman Islands for tax purposes to self-insure for malpractice and general liability claims, according to the report. Company officials must meet outside the U.S. at least once a year to maintain the Cayman Islands location. NUMC's CEO, COO, and CFO were all named to NHCC LTD's board, and previously traveled to the islands for two weeks out of the fiscal year to discuss the company's financial and operational activities.

Under the proposal, two NUMC executives will meet once a year for one day at an offshore location, such as a Canadian airport, to discuss the company's activities.

The series of resolutions also calls for a reduction in the use of outside legal firms to handle internal legal issues, and to enact anti-nepotism disclosure requirements for hospital trustees, among other initiatives.

Nassau Health Care Corp. officials did not disclose how much the organization would save as a result of the proposed changes, Newsday reports.

Mr. Tsunis said as a safety-net hospital, NUMC should adhere to federal expense guidelines and not use taxpayer money to fund executives' trips.

"[The proposed resolutions are] essential for credibility. The taxpayers of Nassau County need to be assured that we are protecting their tax dollars and operating at the highest ethical levels," Mr. Tsunis told Newsday.